Advocacy / CADSI News
Christyn Cianfarani Named one of Canada's Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network
OTTAWA (November 22, 2018) – CADSI is proud to announce that its President and CEO, Christyn Cianfarani, has been named among Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners for 2018.
The annual list of winners was released today by PhaseNyne, the parent company of the Women's Executive Network (WXN). The Top 100 Awards pay tribute to outstanding women across Canada who serve as an inspiration for the next generation of leaders and who advocate for diversity in the workforce.
Past Award Winners include some of Canada’s most iconic female trailblazers – such as best-selling author Margaret Atwood, astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar, as well as businesswomen Arlene Dickinson, Heather Reisman and Christine Magee.
Ms. Cianfarani, a first-time winner, was recognized in the CIBC Trailblazers & Trendsetters category for her achievements in the Canadian defence industry. These achievements include:
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Breaking new ground: For more than 20 years, Ms. Cianfarani has blazed a trail for women in the male-dominated defence industry. After successful roles in strategy, R&D and intellectual property management at CAE Inc., she became the first woman to lead CADSI in its current incarnation, representing the interests of more than 900 Canadian companies.
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Contributions to society: Ms. Cianfarani has helped shape various government policies linked to defence procurement. She was the only woman contributor to the "Jenkins panel" on defence procurement and is a current member of Canada's Defence Industry Advisory Group.
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Vision and leadership: Upon taking the reins at CADSI in 2014, Ms. Cianfarani and her team developed a bold plan to transform perceptions of the industry and focus on its strategic and economic significance. Their efforts paid off last year when the government’s defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged,” recognized an innovative defence sector as one of five top domestic priorities.
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Community service: Ms. Cianfarani is a strong supporter of Women in Defence and Security (WiDS), a CADSI-sponsored organization that promotes the advancement of women in defence-related careers.
Ms. Cianfarani is passionate about changing the face of Canada’s defence industry and making it more open and diverse.
“The defence industry offers meaningful and rewarding careers, and I hope that my winning this award will help spread that message and encourage more women to consider the industry a place where they can thrive,” she said.
Sherri Stevens, CEO of WXN, said all 100 winners are “role models for the generations who will follow – which is why it’s very important to recognize and celebrate their great achievements.”
The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with the initial candidates selected by WXN’s Diversity Council. The final vetting process was completed by WXN’s 2017-2018 Diversity Champions.
For a full list of winners, please visit https://wxnetwork.com/wxn/top100winners/.
For more information, please contact:
Monique Scotti, CADSI
Communications Manager
613-235-5337 ext. 43
[email protected]
Lauren Butler, WXN
[email protected]
437-241-6834
About the Women's Executive Network (WXN)
Women’s Executive Network (WXN), a member-based organization, exists for the advancement, development and recognition of professional women in Canada. WXN delivers this advancement through training, events, mentoring, networking, and award and recognition programs for members and partners.
About CADSI
The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) is the national voice of more than 900 Canadian defence and security companies that produce world-class goods, services and technologies. The industries contribute to the employment of more than 60,000 Canadians and generate $10 billion in annual revenues, roughly 60 per cent of which come from exports. To learn more, visit www.defenceandsecurity.ca and follow us on Twitter at @CadsiCanada or on LinkedIn.
About CADSI
The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) is the national industry voice of more than 650 Canadian defence, security and cybersecurity companies that produce world-class goods, services and technologies made across Canada and sought the world over. The industries contribute to the employment of more than 78,000 Canadians and generate $12.6 billion in annual revenues, roughly half of which come from exports. To learn more, visit defenceandsecurity.ca and follow us on Twitter at @CadsiCanada .
Media Inquiries
Please direct all media inquiries to:
Tel: +1 613-235-5337 x43
The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries
251 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 300 Ottawa, ON, K1P 5J6
